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Veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor may have entered the final few months of his Glasgow Rangers contract but that doesn’t necessarily mean the curtains have quite closed on his club career just yet.

Despite his age, the 38-year-old is still an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s side, as he started four out of the five games in a row in all competitions leading up to the Kilmarnock fixture.

However, there may soon come a point when Rangers will need to rejuvenate their goalkeeping options between the sticks by bringing in new faces, but the Light Blues won’t have look much further than their academy ranks.

Rangers academy product Brian Kinnear could be the perfect replacement if McGregor fails to commit his future to the club or reach an agreement with Ross Wilson.

Gerrard clearly rates the 19-year-old very highly indeed, as he has already been involved in first-team training with the regular starters in the Europa League campaign this season.

Under Peter Lovenkrands’ stewardship, Kinnear continued his development as a player during his time with the Rangers reserves. Speaking after the academy side drew with their arch-rivals Celtic in the City of Glasgow Cup group stage clash last season, the club legend singled out the young keeper for praise for his “fantastic” performance, as he made three great saves in the second half.

Lovenkrands told the club’s website: “Brian did really well for us, especially in the second half. When we are pushing to get at least the goal to get back into the game, we’re going to leave ourselves a wee bit vulnerable and open at the back.

“It’s normal, and you expect your goalkeeper to try and help us out, and all credit to Brian as at that bit he was fantastic with some top, top saves to keep us in the game and give us the chance to maybe go and win it in the end.”

The uncapped Scotland U21 international put the team first when asked about his own performance, which is certainly something that will endear him to Gers fans. He said: “It’s my job.

“I’m obviously happy but a wee bit happier for the boys who pushed on, especially in the second half.”

And McGregor has welcomed the competition, saying it drives him on to fight for his place in the starting line-up, which is surely a sign of things to come. He told RangersTV he has been “really impressed” by the youngster’s work ethic after he spent time working with the academy keepers in the summer.

By all accounts, Kinnear just needs to be given a chance to show what he can do in the first team, which is something Gerrard has failed to provide so far. With that being said, he still has plenty of time left to continue to grow and develop as a player, as he recently signed a new contract to extend his stay at the club.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must reward Glasgow Rangers ace Glen Kamara with new contract…

Key information about Proact Stadium

Proact Stadium was opened in 2010 and is now the home of Chesterfield FC who play their football in the National League. The ground is located in Whittington Moor on the site of the former Dema Glassworks and interestingly, also houses Sheffield United U23s and Sheffield United Women’s team.

Its current capacity stands at 10,504 with a pitch that measures 112 by 74 yards. The surface is covered with natural grass and there is no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance of 10,089 at Proact Stadium was set during the clash between Chesterfield and Rotherham back in 2011.

A history of Proact Stadium

Chesterfield FC moved to Proact Stadium back in 2010 following around 130 years spent at their old ground, the Recreation Ground at Saltergate. Needless to say, that stadium was actually one of the oldest around and was, by that time, falling into disrepair and the club needed a change.

The first plans to move to a different stadium were actually drawn up as early as October 2004 and an agreement between the club and the local authorities was done in the following year. Still, even with all of those things out of the way quite early, complications ensued and it wouldn’t be until 2008 that they would actually get the planning permission and in 2009, the land was handed over to Chesterfield to finally start building.

The official construction began in February 2009 and it would take them about a year to finish and open it for business in 2010. 24 July was the date Chesterfield played their first game at their new home, hosting Derby County in a pre-season friendly clash. The first competitive clash, however, followed suit about three weeks later when Barnet came to town.

If reports are to be believed, the approximate cost of the erection of Proact Stadium was around £13m and it is comprised of four different stands which give it a maximum capacity of 10,500. Still, if Chesterfield need more room in case too many fans flock into the ground, the corners can also be filled in to further boost that figure to 13,000.

Interestingly enough, various sponsorship deals have resulted in Proact Stadium changing names on multiple different occasions. In 2009, when it was still in the process of being erected, the ground was actually called the b2net Stadium. But that wouldn’t last and two seasons later, following the acquisition of b2net by Swedish company Proact, the name changed once again, this time to Proact Stadium, which was officially announced on 13 August 2012.

As of August 2020, however, the name will change from Proact Stadium to Technique Stadium due to the latest sponsorship deal struck by the club.

Away from the footballing facilities and on the exterior of the East Stand is a £1.7m community facility commonly known just as the HUB. And this is where the rest of the stadium’s features are located with a cafe, ‘Chester’s Den’, a martial arts dojo, a play centre, a gym, a therapy pool, a multi-use sports hall, classrooms as well as the offices of the Trust and other tenants.

Apart from Chesterfield, Proact Stadium is also used by Sheffield United U23s and Sheffield United Women’s team.

Tickets to watch Chesterfield FC at Proact Stadium

All tickets to watch Chesterfield FC play at Proact Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. The price depends on the age group of the buyer as well as the stand chosen with the cost ranging between £18 and £22 for an adult ticket.

Of course, the club also offers a season ticket scheme which can give fans a discount over the course of the season.

Related links

https://www.chesterfield-fc.co.uk/ – Official website of Chesterfield FC

In their first game back in the Premier League, West Brom were given a ruthless lesson by Leicester City at the Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon.

Slaven Bilic’s side were well in the game for a long period of time, heading into the break all square at 0-0. But Timothy Castagne’s opener for the visitors opened the door for the Foxes to grab a couple more late on.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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And whilst the Baggies can certainly find some major positives from the contest, one man who didn’t look at all that impressive, was Romaine Sawyers.

As per Sofascore, the midfielder had just 26 touches and completed only 15 passes in the 68 minutes that he was on the pitch, whilst he failed to make any tackles and was dribbled past three times.

And after seeing his performance, West Brom fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.

A few Baggies supporters insisted that the midfielder just isn’t good enough for the Premier League.

A couple of fans simply insisted that Sawyers was “lazy”.

With it being the first game of the season, the obvious conclusion to make would be that people shouldn’t be rushing to judgment.

But Sawyers’ virtually anonymous display, and questionable work ethic as some fans have pointed out, must raise some serious concerns for Bilic when deciding what team to choose next.

The midfielder could be out of the starting line-up sooner rather than later.

Harry Winks’ future at Tottenham Hotspur is in doubt, according to the Daily Mirror.

Tottenham have stepped up their attempts to sign Southampton star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, with both Spurs and Everton chasing the Saints’ former captain. The Denmark international had the captaincy stripped from him by Ralph Hasenhuttl after he refused to sign a new deal and was dropped from the squad entirely, although he has returned to action in recent weeks.

Jose Mourinho has made it clear that Hojbjerg is the holding midfielder that he needs to rebuild Tottenham’s midfield. The Daily Mirror claimed that, if Mourinho gets his man, it is Winks who is most likely to leave north London in the summer.

Hojbjerg has played 33 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist and averaging 1.4 shots, 2.4 successful tackles and 1.5 clearances per game (via WhoScored). Meanwhile, Winks has made 30 appearances in the English top flight so far this term, with fewer than one shot and one clearance per game, as per WhoScored.

Mourinho is well aware that his transfer budget has been severely restricted by current financial circumstances, while Daniel Levy will have to balance the books to sign his top targets in the summer.

Kyle Walker-Peters, who is currently on loan at St Mary’s, could form part of a deal to take Hojbjerg to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although the Saints have not confirmed whether they want to keep him permanently when his loan expires at the end of the season.

On the other hand, Winks could be sacrificed in order for the ex-Bayern Munich ace to take his place. The Englishman was a firm favourite of former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino but has found himself in and out of the side over the course of the campaign so far, even though he has featured in every game during the Lilywhites’ recent unbeaten run.

As it stands, it seems highly likely that Winks will fall down the pecking order if Hojbjerg arrives in the summer. However, it would be a harsh decision by the board to let him leave, as the England international has become an effective distributor who picks his passes to keep play moving forward.

Indeed, he has played a key role in the supply chain in recent weeks, although it seems he does not get the credit he deserves. His exit could come as quite a shock, as his playing style has enabled Giovani Lo Celso to push further up the pitch.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sell Harry Winks in order to faciliate Hojbjerg’s arrival at Spurs? Let us know in the comments below!

Tottenham Hotspur striker Troy Parrott’s decision to leave north London and move to Millwall on loan is the “perfect move” for the teenager, according to Noel Whelan.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Leeds United forward feels Millwall manager Gary Rowett can get the best out of the Spurs striker in the Championship.

Recent reports revealed that the Lions are close to completing a deal for the Republic of Ireland international and the Lilywhites have now confirmed that he has left for The Den to prepare for the 2020/21 season.

Parrott, who earned his first cap for his country last year, has found his chances limited under Spurs boss Jose Mourinho.

The 18-year-old has followed in the footsteps of Harry Kane who enjoyed a successful spell in Bermondsey at the beginning of his career.

Whelan believes he has made the right decision as a loan move will aid his development.

“This could be the perfect move for him,” he told football writer Dylan Childs.

“He definitely needed to go out on loan, that is for sure. You can only do so much in the 23s, then it is about testing yourself at a higher level. He is definitely going to get that in the Championship.

“Gary Rowett will be a good manager to work under. He is young, gets the best out of players and has changed the way that Millwall play.

“Parrott needs game time. He needs to test himself, he needs experience and he needs to mature. If he does well there might be a call back.

“He is banging them in for fun with the Under-23s so he needed that next challenge. The Championship will be very difficult and test his ability.”

It is hard to argue with Whelan here, as Parrott has the potential to become the next Spurs star to break through the ranks into the first-team.

The £3.24m-valued Dublin-born striker has scored goals for fun in the youth setup this year, scoring six times in four UEFA Youth League games (Transfermarkt).

However, the Irishman has only made four appearances for Mourinho’s side this season.

For whatever reason, the Portuguese doesn’t seem to trust him yet, as he barely featured at all despite the fact he was the club’s only recognised striker after Kane suffered an injury setback.

His development has stalled at Spurs as he finds himself further down the pecking order now that the players have made a full recovery. At this stage of his career, he needs to be playing regularly, which is something that is not on the cards at his parent club as it stands.

A move to Millwall worked wonders for Kane’s career and there is no reason to see why the loan spell won’t have a similar effect on Parrott if he applies himself in the right areas.

Tottenham fans, do you think Parrott should follow in Kane’s footsteps and go to Millwall on loan? Join the discussion in the comments below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Sky Sports, Everton have contacted former Arsenal boss Unai Emery over their vacant managerial position, and it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Sports report that an informal meeting was held between the two parties in London, with the Spaniard keen to take more time before deciding on his next move given he was only sacked by the Gunners at the end of last month.

The report says that chairman Bill Kenwright and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri have drawn up a four-man shortlist to be Marco Silva’s successor, which presumably includes Emery if he is willing to change his mind and get straight back into the game – something The Athletic’s David Ornstein suggests he is ready to do should he be offered the job.

Sky Sports reported that Shanghai SIPG boss Vitor Pereira was at the top of their list, although he has now pulled out of the running.

Why Emery?

Just because the Spaniard has been sacked by a bigger Premier League club in Arsenal, it certainly doesn’t mean he is good enough for Everton – their fans on Twitter appear to agree, too.

Did he play for Everton? Simple question but a lot tougher than you think…

In his first season with the north London outfit, they should have been on course to qualify for the Champions League when they beat Newcastle on April 1 to move into third above Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the standings.

Yet they took just seven points from the remaining 21 available to finish one point outside of the top four – just two more points would have been enough to see them finish above Spurs.

They lost eight out of their 19 away matches in the top flight too, conceding 35 goals in the process.

That disappointment was followed by a disastrous display in the Europa League final against Chelsea where they were easily beaten 4-1 in Baku.

None of this takes into account this season, when he was relieved of his duties following a run of seven games without a win in all competitions – their worst run since February 1992.

Emery had no idea how to get Arsenal out of the rut that they found themselves in and looked like a beaten man for weeks. The players clearly weren’t playing for him either as they were beaten by Sheffield United and only just rescued a draw at home to relegation-threatened Southampton towards the end of his reign.

With no real identity to their play either, it is hard to fathom why Kenwright and Moshiri would see him as the man to turn around their fortunes, especially after a similarly disappointing spell under Silva.

In all honesty, they would be better off sticking with Duncan Ferguson.

In other Everton news, a high-profile 59-year-old manager has refused to rule out taking the job at Goodison Park, but there’s a catch…

According to an Argentina-based journalist, Leeds are set to sign Tottenham defender Juan Foyth on loan for next season.

What’s the word?

Despite the Whites’ promotion bid still yet to be confirmed given that the Championship is now set to resume very soon, it appears Marcelo Bielsa’s side are already drawing up plans to strengthen their squad for the following campaign.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

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And as per Nicolas Bozza, Spurs centre-back Foyth is going to be heading on loan to Elland Road next season to play under fellow Argentine, Bielsa.

Defensive boost

Whilst Leeds currently have the best defensive record in the division with just 30 goals conceded in their 37 Championship games, the potential step-up to the Premier League will of course present a far biggest test of their credentials.

And whilst Foyth has had his fair share of struggles at Spurs – he conceded two penalties on his debut – he has earned some reviews from the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho.

Upon his arrival in north London, Pochettino declared that the Lilywhites had bought someone with massive potential, and that he is “very aggressive and strong”. And then, even after Spurs’ defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, current boss Mourinho insisted that one of the positive examples he had learned a lot about, was Foyth.

So clearly those who have managed him think highly of him, and the Argentine’s Premier League experience seems like a good fit for a side coming up from the division below. If Victor Orta can complete a loan deal for the 6 foot 2 man, then their chances of survival next season in the top-flight will take a boost.

Liverpool yesterday posted a video on their official Twitter account @LFC of a memorable goal scored by Neil Mellor at Anfield 15 years ago.

On November 28th, 2004, the striker hit a superb 30-yard volley in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win for the Reds over Arsenal, who were the defending Premier League champions at the time. [via BBC]

He would play just 22 times for Liverpool’s first team and was forced to retire in 2012 at the age of just 29 after suffering a serious knee injury, as per BBC.

Mellor, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, met with current Reds goalkeeper Alisson earlier this week to record an interview for Gillette Soccer Saturday.

He posted on his Twitter profile @NeilMellor33 about having to Google himself to prove to the 27-year-old Brazilian, who came to Anfield in 2018, that he had previously played with the Anfield club.

Like Alisson, Mellor was also involved in a Champions League-winning squad, having played in two matches in the Reds’ European triumph in 2004/05.

These Liverpool fans on Twitter jokingly called out Alisson upon seeing the footage of Mellor’s goal against Arsenal back in 2004:

What were your memories of Mellor’s strike against Arsenal 15 years ago? Tell us in the comments section below!

West Bromwich Albion regained control of the Championship lead earlier this week by defeating Preston North End 1-0 at Deepdale.

The Baggies had to wait until Monday to play their fixture, knowing that Leeds United had made a statement of their own by thrashing Middlesbrough 4-0 to take temporary possession of the top spot.

Slaven Bilic’s side overcame the tough test of playing the division’s best home side on their own patch, although they needed a slither of luck to do so.

In the final minute of the match, substitute Kyle Edwards was deemed to have been fouled inside the area by goalkeeper Declan Rudd. much to the anger of the Preston squad who believed the winger had dived.

Fellow sub Charlie Austin duly stepped up to dispatch the spot-kick, making it three goals in just as many games for the summer arrival.

Several of the Albion faithful have been speaking about his goal, recent form and more on social media this week.

Other supporters were quick to praise the calm natured attitude of the 30-year-old considering he has had to come off the bench to score these three goals in recent weeks, topping it off by netting the winner in the last minute against Preston.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Austin stepped up, sent the keeper the wrong way and celebrated in front of the travelling support – ‘class,’ ‘top guy,’ and ‘better than Depay’ were three phrases used to describe the Albion striker.

While some just couldn’t wait to take a swipe at their nearest challengers, Leeds…

Austin’s strike guided West Brom to their 42nd point from 19 matches, meaning they are averaging 2.2 points per game which is above and beyond what Norwich City needed last term (2.06) to clinch the title.

The Baggies’ promotion quest faces another tough test on Sunday afternoon when they host Swansea City at the Hawthorns.

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In other news, Leeds fans have been fuming at West Brom for one reason…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Tottenham Hotspur’s mentality has shifted.

Back in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons, this was a team that never stopped, that consistently refused to give up, that went until the final whistle.

Per Understat, they scored 14 goals after the 76th minute in the former and 21 in the 16/17 season. In 2016/17, they rescued a draw against West Brom in the 89th minute, scored in the 89th and 91st minutes against West Ham in a 3-2 victory, beat Everton in injury-time, and scored all three of their goals in a 3-1 victory over Swansea City after the 85th minute.

This was a team that were absolutely relentless. Since then, it’s been slipping. They scored 14 goals after the 76th minute the season following and 13 in 2018/19. Okay, everyone might point to that game against Ajax, that incredible last-minute goal from Lucas Moura, but it was the exception to the rule.

This season, they have scored three goals after the 76th minute. Two of those goals came on the opening day as Spurs beat Aston Villa 3-1; the other came in the 1-1 draw with bottom-place Watford, Dele Alli prodding home in the 86th minute to earn his side a point.

Another problem has reared its head too: seeing out leads. Spurs were 2-0 up against Arsenal but drew 2-2; they were 2-0 up against Olympiacos in the Champions League but drew 2-2; Mauricio Pochettino’s men led against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium but lost; they even took the lead against Bayern Munich in north London in the Champions League but were beaten 7-2. And on Sunday, having gone ahead through Alli’s goal, Spurs conceded a 97th-minute equaliser against Everton to drop two points.

Now they lie 11th, with 13 points from 11 games. They are five points clear of 18th-placed Southampton and 10 behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

It is a troubling, depressing equation for a club that have suddenly reverted to type, that sit marooned in mid-table and already face a major fight to even be in the conversation to qualify for the Champions League.

One thing that absolutely needs to change, though, is the belief.

On Sunday, Spurs were, admittedly, unfortunately reduced to 10 men after Heung-Min Son was wrongly sent off for his role in Andre Gomes’ horrific injury. The red card has since been rescinded.

The problem is the inevitability that came with it. It wasn’t a question of whether or not Everton were going to equalise, it was when they were going to equalise. On 97 minutes is the answer and, given 12 were added on, Spurs could well have lost the game had the Toffees not run out of time.

Indeed, this season, Spurs have scored the majority of their goals between the 16th minute and the half-hour mark; if they are to improve, they need to start hitting the back of the net with regularity in the closing stages. If not for the sheer value of potentially decisive goals, then for proof of a mindset change.

As it is, they are just another mid-table team with no stand-out characteristics; they do not go to the end, they are not unbeatable, they are not pressing their opposition to the point of paralysis, they are not keeping it tight at the back and they are not ruthless going forward. They are just… well, average.

It remains to be seen if Pochettino can turn it around.